Airflow garment



Afiril 19, 1938. R. YORK 2,114,514

AIRFLOW GARMENT Filed April 21, 1957 INVENTOR.

- ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 19, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improvement in garments, and particularly in coats and the like, of the type in which openings are provided through the garment, in which the garment is provided with a foundation member of mesh, netting, or the like, or in which the said mesh, netting, or the like, is used in combination with material of the garment to form a foundation member particularly across the back; which makes it possible to hold the garment firm, permitting stretch, and, at the same time, having openings through the walls of the garment.

The invention is a coat or similar garment having a continuous foundation member particularly across the back, and in which pleats are formed in the back and sides, with openings under the pleats, and also with openings covered with mesh or netting under the arms.

Somewhat similar garments have been used,

particularly for sport wear, but these have been made of special design, and as the openings are formed through the walls of the garment without a continuous foundation member across the back, the shoulders are not held together, and the garment is, therefore, only suitable for sport wear,

and does not have sufficient structure to warrant its use for everyday wear.

The object of the invention is, therefore, to provide improvements in garments of this type by I providing continuous openings through the walls of the garment, and, at the same time, reinforcing the garment with a continuous member forming the back and holding the shape of the garment.

35 Another object is to provide means for forming continuous openings through the walls of a garment, and, at the same time, sufficient structure to hold the shoulders in place.

A further object is to provide a garment of the 40, ventilating type, having ventilating openings under the sleeves, and located at the intersection of the sleeve and garment.

And a still further object is to provide a garment of the ventilating type having a complete 5, garment structure for holding the parts thereof in their relative positions, which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these ends in view the invention embodies a garment having openings covered by pleats,

with a back formed of a continuous member, providing a foundation adapted to hold the garment in its normal position. The garment is shown in the form of a coat, and it will be understood that this construction may be incorporated in coats for men, women, or children, or used in uniforms forofficers or students, or used in garments of any design or for any purpose.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein: 5

Figure 1 is a view showing a front elevation of a coat, with the inner surface of the back formed of mesh or netting, and with pleats at the sides.

Figure 2 is a view showing the back of the garment shown in Figure 1. 10

Figure 3 is a detail showing ventilating openings under the arm. I

Figure 4 is a similar view showing ventilating openings of an alternate design.

Figure 5 is a view showing the interior of a 15 garment of an alternate design, showing the mesh forming a yoke between the shoulders, and in which continuous openings are provided through pleats and panels forming the back thereof.

Figure 61s a detail showing another alternate 20 design, in which pleats of a different type are shown in the side of a garment.

Figure 7 is a view showing a cross section of the garment shown in Figures 1 and 2, showing the continuous panel forming the back thereof. 5

Figure 8 is a similar View showing a back of an alternate design.

Figure 9 is also a similar section taken on line 9-9 of Figure 5, showing the construction of the back of a garment shown. therein.

This invention particularly relates to a foundation member for a garment having slits or openings through the walls thereof, in which the said foundation member is made of open work mesh, netting, or the like, and this foundation member extends from side to side and from the back of the neck to the waist. It may be of continuous netting or may have panels of the material of the garment, or other material inserted therein, and may also be in the form of a yoke, as shown in Figure 5, extending only across the upper part of the back; although, even in this design it may extend to the waist if desired.

Some of the parts, such as the sleeve openings shown in Figures 3 and 4, are exaggerated as to size, as these openings are covered by the sleeve and the size or width thereof is therefore relatively small.

In the drawing the coat is shown as it may be made, wherein numeral 1 indicates the body of a garment, numeral 2 a panel in netting or mesh forming an inner foundation back thereof, and numeral 3 sleeves of the garment.

It will be understood that although the following description particularly relates to a gar- 5 5 ment in the form of a coat, it may also be applied to a garment of any other type or design, and may be used for a garment for men, women, or children. In the design shown in Figures 1, 2, and '7, the garment is formed with a continuous inner back 2, formed with vertical panels 2, 4, and 5, with strips of mesh or netting indicated by the numerals 6, 1, 8, and 9. These panels and strips of netting form a continuous layer of material providing a foundation back which extends from side to side, and from shoulder to shoulder, and in this design this layer of material is covered with panels l and H, and sections 12 and I3 at the sides, and between these parts are vertical slits l4, l5, and 5 extending from a belt I! upward to points [8, l9 and 20 at the upper end. These slits form continuous openings, and permit stretch across the back, however, as the inner panels 2, 4, and 5, are centered on the slits, the

webbing does not show when the slits open slight ly, and, therefore, with the panels 2, 4, and5 made of the same material as the garment, the open spaces between the panels will not be discernible, and the back will have the appearance of box pleats or overlapping pleats. Small pleats 2i and 22 may also be provided in the back as shown in Figure 2.

It will be noted that the drawing only shows thickness of material, and does not show hems at the edges thereof, and it will be understood that alledges are hemmed or bound in any manner or by any means.

The coat shown in Figures 1, 2, and '7, is also provided with a belt ll, the ends 23 and 24 of which extend around the sides of the garment providing closing means for openings 25 and 26 at the sides, and the material forming the front, as indicated by the numerals 21 and 28, is provided with short tabs 29 and 30, to which the ends 23 and 24 are attached by buttons 3| and 32. The inner edges 33 and 34 of the sides of the front extend inward under the edges of the parts l2 and 13, providing openings at the sides, with flaps extending beyond the openings on the inside of the garment, and these are held together by the ends of the belt. These openings have the appearance of pleats at the sides of the coat, however, as they form direct openings through the sides thereof, they provide ventilating means.

It will be understood that these pleats are relatively short, and also that they may be of any length, may be formed in any manner, and any means may be provided for holding them closed or preventing opening thereof beyond the inner edges of the inner flaps 33 and 34.

The coat shown in Figure 8 is similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2, except that the belt 35 extends only across the back, with the ends stopping at the side seams, and the openings at the sides are omitted. In this design the back is formed with two relatively large panels 36 and 31, with openings 38, 39, and 49 between them, and the foundation back is formed with a panel 4! centered on the opening 39, a panel 42 covering the opening 38, and a panel 43 covering the opening 49, and the edges of these inner panels are connected by mesh or netting 44 and 45. This provides a continuous inner foundation back covered by the two outer panels 36 and 31, with the openings between the panels covered by the inner panels or sections 4|, 42, and 43, which are preferably made of the same material as the garment. It will be understood, therefore, that any arrangement of panels maybe used to form the back, and these may be of any length, size, or design.

The back shown in Figures 5 and 9 is of an alternate design, in which continuous openings are provided through the back with underlying panels 46, 41, and 48, and outer panels 49, 50, 5|, and 52, in which the slits forming the openings between the outer panels are centered on the inner panels, so that as the outer panels are spread, the inner strips only will show between the edges thereof, and with both sets of panels formed of the same material, these will have the appearance of box pleats, or overlapping pleats of any type or design. In this design the foundation back is formed by a continuous yoke of mesh or netting 53 extending from the shoulder or arm openings 54 and 55 at the opposite sides, thereby rigidly holding the garment across the back and between the shoulders, making it snug and comfortable. Shoulder panels 56 and 51 may also be provided as shown in Figure 5 to reinforce the shoulders. It will, therefore, be understood that this device provides a continuous inner back extending from side to side and across the shoulders, and the pleats or openings in the back may be. formed in any manner.

In addition to the openings in the back, as hereinbefore described, the garment may be provided with openings at the armpits or the sleeves, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, in which V shaped openings 58 are provided in the sleeves, and similar openings 59 are provided in the seams at the sides of the garment below the arms, and these openings are covered with mesh or netting as shown. In the design shown in Figure 4 the opening 60 in the side of the garment is made relatively wide instead of V shaped as shown in Figure 3, and it will be understood that this opening may be of any type or design. This opening is also shown in Figure 6, in which it is shown as formed in Figure 3, and it will be understood that it may extend downward to form the pleat providing the opening as indicated by the numerals 25 and 26 in Figure 7, or formed in any manner.

It will be understood that the material referred to as mesh, netting, or webbing, may be any suitable material, which is substantially open, and this is of exactly the same color and shade as the material used to form the garment.

It will be understood that other changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. One of which changes may be in the use of openings of any other type or design, in combination with the inner foundation back, another may be in the use of a back having a lower portion of any other type or design instead of the continuous pleat or slit shown in the drawing, and still another may be in the use of other means for forming an inner foundation back.

The construction will be readily understood from the foregoing description. In use it will be understood that this construction may be incorporated in a coat or garment of any style, type, or design, and the garment may be formed with continuous openings through the material thereof, or these openings may be covered with mesh, or netting, and the panels between the slits or openings may be free or held together in any manner or by any means. With the coat formed as shown and described, it will feel the same as any coat or garment on the market, as the inner foundation member will hold the shoulders in place, and, at the same time, provide freedom of movement of the arms, and the slits between the panels will normally appear closed, and when stretched the same material as that of the garment will appear through the slits, thereby providing a garment having the same comfort as a nonventilatlng garment, and, at the same time, having ventilating openings extending through the material thereof.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A ventilating garment of the type having openings through the back and sides thereof and netting or the like partly covering said openings; strips of material corresponding with the material of the garment positioned behind the openings in the back and adapted to show through the openings as the said openings are opened, and an inner non-stretchable foundation member of netting or the like extending across the back from shoulder to shoulder, and downward from the upper end to the lower edges of the arm openings preventing stretching of the garment between the shoulders at the back.

2. A garment as described in claim 1, characterized in that said strips of material are attached to said foundation member.

3. A garment as described in claim 1, characterized in that said strips of material are built into said foundation member and held in position behind the said openings thereby.

4. In combination with a garment as described in claim 1, a belt extending across the back, forming a supporting member preventing stretching around the waist, and holding the openings at the sides limiting the opening movement thereof.

RALPH YORK. 

